Tangled
by roothlace
Summary: Mike pretends that Quinn's his fiancee...
1. Mike has an idea

_Glee _doesn't belong to me.

**Tangled**

It was his brother Andrew's fault Mike thought to himself for the third time. His younger brother had to go and get married. Added to that, Mira their little sister, the girl was barely twenty two had also decided she was going to tie the knot in three weeks time and everyone expected him to show up with his girlfriend, soon-to-be fiancée.

His life was perfect. He didn't need a wife to make him complete, to make him happy. He was happy on his own.

So, why did you feel the need to lie about your life? A voice asked him. Why the pretence that you have a girlfriend, that you are thinking of taking that step as well?

Mike knew it was unfair, irrational even, but he still maintained that it was Andrew's fault. It was his fault that Mike had come up with that ridiculous plan in the first place.

_Two Years Ago_

_The Awards' ceremony was in full swing and Mike made his way to their company table and sat down. He worked with an advertising company and this year, he and a colleague, Quinn Fabray of all people, were nominated for an award._

_When Mike had joined the company a year earlier he'd been surprised to find Quinn working there but he'd quickly realised that she didn't fraternize with co-workers – Quinn had actually pulled him into her office on his second day at the office and told him that, that and the fact that she would do him bodily harm if he ever so much as whispered that he had known her in high school – she only talked to them when she had to, nothing more._

_Mike and Quinn had barely spoken to each other in the three years they'd worked together, but that wasn't really strange, they'd barely been friends in high school, so when they had been partnered to work together it had been a bit awkward in the beginning but they had managed to find a lot of things in company and even become friends._

_They had won the award and their picture had been published in the newspaper._

That was the beginning of Mike's problems; Maggie Chang, his grandmother had seen the article, and called to congratulate him. One minute they were talking about his work and the next they were discussing his love life and that was when he got the idea to say that he and Quinn were dating.

Luckily for Mike, Andrew's wedding had been a very small affair and Quinn's absence could easily be explained but Mira's wedding was coming up and everyone expected Quinn to be there with him.

000

Mike was laughing with his grandmother on Skype; it was their thing ever since Andrew had introduced her to it. Every one of her children and grandchildren had a day and time of their own and Thursday evening was Mike's turn. He usually chatted with her at home but today he had decided to do it in his office, he wasn't quite ready to go home.

"… That's not true, Granma," Mike protested, shaking his head.

Maggie laughed at her grandson and wagged her finger at him. It was so good to see him his happy, their talks over the past few months hadn't been very happy ones although Mike pretended that everything was fine. He always acted as if everything was fine with him.

"Michael, are you saying that your brother lied to me?" Maggie asked him.

Mike was about to reply when the door opened and Quinn came in. "Mike, you're still here, good."

"You must be Quinn," Maggie said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Quinn smiled at the other woman. It was clear that she was wondering who the older woman was and how she'd known her name.

"Don't be silly," Maggie replied. "Mike, aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Of course," Mike said wondering what exactly he was going to say. "Quinn Fabray, Maggie Chang, my grandmother. Granma, this is Quinn."

"My dear, I can't tell you how excited I am to finally meet you," Maggie said. "Wait until I tell Peter and the rest, they'll be so mad."

To Quinn's credit, she continued smiling and murmured inaudibly but Maggie didn't seem to notice anything amiss. "Mike has told her so much about you, but he didn't do justice to your beauty and grace," Maggie continued.

"Mike, I didn't mean to interrupt," Quinn said. "I'll see you in the morning."

"No need," Maggie told her. "You talk to Mikey, we'll talk later."

Quinn was silent as Mike said goodbye to his grandmother and she waited until the connection was cut before turning to him.

"Do you mind telling me what that was all about?"

"Quinn, I can explain."

"I sincerely hope so," she told him.

0000

**What do you think?**


	2. Quinn

Mike stared at Quinn waiting for her to say something; anything but she was just looking at him in silence, in shock. That probably meant that she thought he had finally lost his mind but at least she wasn't laughing at him; on the other hand maybe if she was it would be better.

Unable to stand the silence anymore, Mike launched into speech. "I knew this was a crazy idea, believe me, I guess I should just confess now and get it over with."

Quinn was still looking at him in silence.

"I'm sorry, Quinn," Mike looked at his hands which he was wringing together nervously. "What was I thinking? As if you would consider such a thing. You obviously have a life. I am real sorry I –"

"I'll do it," Quinn interrupted him.

"You probably have a boyfriend, just because I haven't heard about him doesn't mean you don't have one," Mike continued and then Quinn's words sank in. "You'll do it?"

Quinn nodded smiling softly at him.

"You'll do it." Mike was smiling broadly at her and without thinking he took her into his arms and hugged her closely. "Thank you. Thank you very much." Quinn stiffened and he let her go, although he didn't move back. "So we have to talk, you know work out our stories before you meet the family."

"Yes," Quinn agreed. "But I think tomorrow is soon enough, we'll talk tomorrow."

Mike watched her leave, still reviling in the fact that Quinn Fabray had agreed to be his girlfriend, okay she had agreed to be his pretend girlfriend, still a girlfriend nonetheless. He wanted to dance for joy.

000

Mike opened the door to his apartment and as he out away his keys and made his way to the kitchen to get himself a drink it finally hit him that he hadn't asked Quinn what she had come for in the first place. He debated with himself and finally decided to call her, he wondered how she would react, he had wanted to but he had never called her before.

"Hello," Quinn said.

"Quinn," Mike replied. "This is Mike, Mike Chang."

"I know," Quinn replied. He imagined her smiling as she said that.

"I hope I haven't called at a bad time," Mike said.

"No," Quinn told him.

"When you came into my office earlier," he began and she interrupted him. "Oh that, it was nothing, forget it."

"Quinn, you came to my office for something and I railroaded you into pretending to be my girlfriend. What did you need?"

"Mike, forget it. Seriously it was nothing and you didn't railroad me, I agreed to help you."

"Quinn, what was it?" Mike asked again.

Quinn had hoped that Mike would not ask her what she had been going to ask him. In fact, when he had brought up that 'pretend girlfriend' thing she had been sort of relieved at not having to explain her presence in his office at that time.

"Quinn? Are you still there?"

"Sorry Mike," Quinn replied. "I'm still here. I wanted to ask you if you go with me to launch party tomorrow."

"Of course." Mike's reply was immediate.

"It's just that I don't want to go alone," Quinn continued. "We don't even have to go together; I imagine you were going to attend anyway so what I'm suggesting is that we meet at the Richmond at sevenish."

"Quinn, you don't have to explain," Mike told her, "and forget this nonsense of meeting at the hotel, I'll pick you up at your apartment and we'll go together."

"Thank you."

"Compared to what you're doing for me," Mike replied. "This is nothing, as you already pointed out I was going to attend the party in any case."

"Great." Quinn couldn't wait to get off the phone. "See you tomorrow."

"Was that Mike?" Quinn turned and looked at her mother. Judy Fabray was standing in the doorway of her daughter's bedroom. "When will I get to meet him?"

"Soon."

"You've been saying that for years," Judy told her daughter. "Are you sure he wants to marry you? Two years is a long time to keep a girl waiting."

"I told you," Quinn told her mother, patiently. "He had some family business to take care of, but now that it's settled we're going to set a date soon."

"He could have made time to visit me, or even called me," Judy pointed out. She could never understand why her Quinnie's boyfriend had always been too busy to meet her.

"You'll meet him tomorrow," Quinn told her mother.

"I can't wait." Judy made her way back to the kitchen where she had been preparing their supper. "Supper will be ready in ten minutes," she called to her daughter.

Quinn watched her mother go back to the kitchen and she sat on her bed. She wondered why she had ever told her mother all those lies – okay she knew why, she had wanted to get Judy off her back – but at least she hadn't had to ask Mike to pretend to be her boyfriend. She was grateful that Mike had done that all by himself, so when their plan fell apart, and she was sure it would soon, it would be his fault and not hers.

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	3. Meeting the Parent

_It was during Quinn's final year at Yale that she had met Mike Reynolds, a finalist like herself who was an English major. They had hit it off and pretty soon they spent every waking moment together. When he had proposed a week after graduation Quinn had been the happiest woman in world; they were to be married in six months, have two children and lived happily ever after._

_Quinn had called her mother and Judy had been excited that her baby finally had her life in order. That she was finally living the life she deserved – her life had gone off track when she'd had a baby at sixteen but she was glad that all that was behind her._

_It was at their weekly lunch, Wednesdays at Tino's that Mike had broken it off. Apparently he had gone back to Oregon and reconnected with his high school sweetheart. "I'm sorry, Quinn, I know it was wrong, it is wrong but when I saw Amy again I couldn't help myself. We got married over the weekend."_

"_What?!" _

"_Quinn, admit it," Mike said. "You and I, we never really fit, not in a forever sort of way."_

"_I can't believe this. You go and get married behind my back and you make it about it."_

_Quinn had walked out of Tino's in shock and anger. She was angry at herself, how and why had she let herself believe that it could work between her and Mike. The thing that made Quinn madder though was the fact that she knew deep down that Mike was right, she loved him but she couldn't picture herself being with him forever. _

_000_

_Quinn sat up in her bed. She reached for the alarm clock and looked at it. 2.43 a.m. What was she going to tell her mother? Judy was flying in to visit her daughter that weekend and she was supposed to meet the boyfriend. _

"_Where is Mike?" Judy walked around Quinn's apartment as if she fully expected to see him appear from behind the sofa. Quinn opened her mouth to tell her mother the truth, she was a grown woman, she could do it and heard herself say instead, "he couldn't be here this weekend; he had to go home to Oregon."_

000

Judy couldn't wait. She was finally going to meet Mike. Maybe she could convince the young man to set a date and she would finally get to see her daughter married. She needed grandchildren she could hold and actually see.

It wasn't until Mike arrived at Quinn's apartment and Judy opened the door that he considered how their pretence would affect her family. That fact that Judy Fabray had opened the door even before he had a chance to ring the bell meant certainly gave him pause. They needed to talk about how this pretence would affect their families.

Judy all but pulled him inside and hugged him and Mike wondered what exactly Quinn had told her parent.

"Mike," she told him laughing, "I was beginning to think that you didn't really exist."

"I do exist, as you can see."

Judy hugged him again. She wondered what it would take to make this young man to come to her way of thinking and marry her little girl.

Quinn looked at herself in the mirror one last time and made her way to the living room. She had to be there before Mike arrived and her mother bombarded him with questions. The sound of voices and laughter coming from that room made her increase her pace, her mother was sneaky but hadn't thought she'd keep Mike's arrival a secret from her.

"There you are darling," Judy said when her daughter came into the room. She could tell from her expression that Quinn wasn't too pleased to see her talking to her boyfriend alone.

"Mike," Quinn smiled at him. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

"It's fine, I was early," Mike was smiling at her well. "And it gave me a chance to finally meet your mother."

Judy had been beginning to have doubts that her plan of getting Quinn and Mike married in a few months would even work – Mike clearly liked her but he had no intention of getting married within the next two months, Judy had asked him that pointblank, but it would obviously take her longer to bring them to her point of view than she wanted.

She had been having doubts, that is, until Quinn had entered the living room. Mike had been in midsentence, telling her about his siblings and he suddenly stopped talking; his whole countenance had changed, he had become visibly brighter and Judy could have sworn that his mouth hang open for a while. It had actually been that that had alerted her to her daughter's presence in the room. This wasn't going to be as hard as Judy had feared.

"Are you ready to leave?" Mike asked Quinn.

"Yes, let's go." Quinn hugged her mother and whispered to her. "You have some explaining to do," which made Judy laugh.

"It was nice to meet you Mrs. Fabray," Mike said.

"Judy, please." Quinn couldn't actually remember seeing her mother this happy. "Have a nice time."

000

"I'm sorry about that," Quinn apologized as Mike drove them to the hotel. "Mother can be a little intense."

"No," Mike laughed softly. "It was fine, she's actually quite funny."

"She didn't ask you why you're dragging your feet about marrying me, did she?"

"She did."

"What did you tell her?" Quinn asked. "What exactly did she tell you?"

"I told her that I would like to get married to you tomorrow but there's something holding you back, like the fact that I'm not a billionaire," Mike said.

"Mike, be serious," Quinn begged him. "What did she tell you?"

"Okay, but don't take this the wrong way," Mike replied. "She told me that she was glad that I had finally come to my senses and met her."

"Mike."

"She did," he shrugged, "and she told me that she hoped that we have finally put all those ridiculous fears behind us and get married very soon."

"To which you replied that we have no intention of getting married soon, I hope," Quinn asked him.

"No, I told her the wedding was in two weeks," Mike was laughing. "And she said it was way too soon, although she conceded that knowing each other for a few years counted for something but she needed time to find you the perfect dress."

Quinn couldn't help it. She joined in the laughter. This evening was going to be much better than she had imagined.

"On a serious note," Mike said. "Your mother is great and she hopes that you and I will get married soon, although I did tell her that we were not ready to get married yet."

"Thank you." Quinn could breathe easily; her mother hadn't brought up Yale. She knew that she would have to tell Mike about Mike Reynolds and her supposed engagement soon and she would but not today.

000

Mike and Quinn left the Richmond shortly after 9.00 o'clock. The party was still in full swing and it had been quite fun but when Mike suggested that they go for a real meal Quinn had agreed.

"I thought you said real food," Quinn asked when he drove to a drive through.

"I'll have you know that burgers and chips are real food," Mike replied.

"Where are we going now?" Quinn asked, they had left the drive through and Mike was now driving to what seemed like a deserted parking lot.

"What's this place?"

Instead of answering Mike parked and handed Quinn her food and he began to eat. Quinn hoped that he hadn't driven her to the local teenage make-out place and she said so.

"Quinn Fabray, what kind of guy do you think I am?"

"Well, I hardly know, do I?" she countered. "You could be stuck in the past, fast foods and empty parking lots, for I know, I mean I don't really know you do."

"_Stuck in the past?_"

She gestured at the food they were eating and the parking lot which was now starting to fill with cars.

"I'm hurt," Mike told her. "I share all my favourite things with you and this is how you react, maybe you're not the girl I thought you were."

"What kind of girl do you think I am?" Quinn was very curious.

Beautiful, strong, funny, brilliant, and many more words like that passed through Mike's mind but he swallowed and simply said, "You're Quinn Fabray."

"That's my name," she reminded him. "It doesn't answer the question."

"Ask me another time," he said quietly.

"What? Why?" Quinn was really curious now.

Mike was saved from answering by a noise and Quinn looked up in surprise as a screen appeared and credits began to roll and as Mike fiddled with the radio in his car she heard music playing. She had never been to a drive-in theatre in her life and she smiled at Mike happily.

000

"That was a lot of fun," Quinn told Mike. "_It Happened One Night_ is now going to join my top ten all time favourite movies."

"I knew you'd enjoy it."

Mike had driven Quinn home and they were standing outside her apartment. Both of them were reluctant to end the evening but they knew they would see each other at work on Monday, and Mike was already thinking of calling her up the next day to spend some time –okay a lot of time – with her.

"Thank you." Quinn told him.

Mike smiled at her thinking of how to ask her to spend the weekend with him. As it turned it wasn't hard. He asked her and she said yes, she would love to spend Saturday with him.

000

"I already have plans with Quinn," Mike told his Granma.

"Even better," Maggie smiled. "Bring her along. It will give us the chance to meet the girl you love."

000

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	4. Meeting the Changs

Quinn got out of the car before Mike had a chance to open the door for her and looked up at the house. She couldn't believe how nervous she was.

"It's going to be fine," Mike assured her. He walked over and took her hands in his. "They're going to love you."

"I don't even know why I'm nervous," Quinn confessed. "It's not like we're really engaged or anything."

"They're going to love you," Mike repeated. "And besides you already met Granma and she liked you, the rest are far easier to please."

"I didn't actually meet your grandmother," Quinn reminded him.

"Quinn, you're one of the strongest people I've ever met," Mike told her. "You can manage an afternoon with the Changs." When he saw that his words had done nothing to reassure her, he pulled her in for a hug and kissed her forehead. Quinn stiffened at the unexpected contact but didn't move out of his arms.

"_Get a room_."

Mike looked up to see Andrew standing at the door laughing. "We watched you guys pull up but it seems you changed your minds about entering the house."

"Quinn, met Andrew my younger brother, Andrew, this is Quinn, my girlfriend."

"It's very nice to finally meet you Quinn," Andrew hugged her. She was beginning to see that hugging was a thing with the Changs. "We've heard so much about you, and let me say that Mike certainly didn't exaggerate about your beauty."

"Careful," Mike interrupted. "This is my girlfriend and you're already spoken for."

They entered the house and went through to the back where the family was gathered. Quinn was introduced to Mira and her fiancé, she met Lila, Andrew's wife as well numerous cousins and their offspring. Maggie Chang was presiding over the barbeque and as soon as she saw Mike and Quinn she called them over.

"Quinn, I'm so glad you were able to join us," the older woman hugged her.

"Thanks for inviting me," Quinn replied.

"Well, knowing Mikey as I do," Maggie replied, "If I hadn't pushed he would never have brought you over. It seems he doesn't like to share you."

"It's actually not his fault that I've never met this family before now," Quinn said.

"You got yourself a good woman," Greta, one of the cousins said, "Better hold onto to her."

Maggie turned to Mike. "You better get into the house and help your brother and the others; Quinn will stay here with us."

000

"You know winter weddings are always the best," Maggie said.

"We haven't actually set the date," Quinn told her.

Maggie nodded. "So Mikey tells me, but don't worry my dear, you'll be a beautiful bride whatever the season."

"Thank you," Quinn smiled, she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Although I must say," Maggie continued. "And you should tell me to keep my nose out of it if you think I'm being a nosy parker, but now would be a perfect time to have your wedding."

"But we wouldn't want to steal Mira's thunder," Quinn protested.

"Of course," Maggie patted her shoulder, "but a month after Mira's wedding would be time enough for you to prepare and it would really be good since the whole family will still be living in one state."

"I see." Quinn didn't really see but she knew Maggie expected some sort of answer.

"I know I shouldn't be telling you this," Maggie said, "but Mira and Ray are moving to Australia just after the New Year and Andrew and Lila are also moving to Europe early next year, so this Christmas is going to be one of the last ones the family will have together as a whole, so if you could get married before then it would just be wonderful."

Luckily for Quinn she didn't have to reply; Greta called her Granma inside to check on the pies.

000

"So when's the wedding?" Andrew asked.

"We haven't set a date," Mike replied.

"Still?"

"We're still getting to know each other," Mike said.

"After all these years?" Fred, a cousin asked. "Honestly."

"I wasn't aware that there was a time limit on getting to know each other," Mike replied. "What's this I hear about you moving to Europe?"

"It's work related of course," Andrew told him, "but we're still talking about you and Quinn."

Fred and Alan, another cousin, burst out laughing. They had all recognized Mike's attempt to change the conversation but Andrew was as tenacious as a bull.

"Seriously think about it," Andrew told his brother, "you should totally get married before we leave, when we're all still together in one country."

"Paris isn't that far," Mike pointed out, "you can still make it for the wedding whenever it is."

"They could and will," Alan agreed, "but if you're ready to get married, why put it off any longer?"

"We already have one wedding take place soon," Mike reminded them, "why don't we wait until that it done with before we start thinking of another one?"

"By the way, you're lucky it's too late to turn into a double wedding," Alan told them, "otherwise Granma would totally be pushing for it and you'd be walking down the aisle in two weeks' time."

Mike allowed himself a little daydream of standing at the front of the church watching as Quinn walked towards him; he could see her white gown and the huge smile on her face, her –. Alan's hand on his shoulder pulled out of the daydream. "Where were you man?" his cousin asked. "You have such a dopey look on your face."

000

After lunch – which had been so much fun, there had been plenty of stories about all the children and Quinn had been made to feel at home as she had also been included, especially as Alan had taken it upon himself to tease them mercilessly about their inability to commit – everyone, apart from Quinn, whom Maggie told to remind seated, had to take part in the clearing and washing up. Quinn tried to protest but Maggie told her that as it was her first family outing she should sit it out; "You'll have plenty of chances to take part in the chores but today we need to finish a certain conversation." Quinn had hoped that Maggie had said everything she had to say about 'their wedding'.

"I want to show you something," Maggie told her and led her into the house. They walked up the stairs to the master bedroom. Maggie told Quinn to sit while she went through to the dressing room and returned with a box.

"Open it," Maggie told Quinn, handing the box over to her. Quinn was afraid to but she really couldn't refuse. It held a simple white veil that was breathtaking with exquisite detailing at the edge.

"Every Chang bride has worn this veil on their wedding day for the past three generations," Maggie explained, "and I hope when your turn comes you will too."

"It's beautiful," Quinn told her.

"I know you probably have your own traditions and things like this in your family," Maggie added, "but it would mean a lot to us, to me, if you wore this on your wedding day."

000

Mike glanced at Quinn again. She had barely said a word since they had left Granma's, and seemed even more nervous than she had been on the way over.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Quinn replied, "just thinking."

"Granma loved you," he assured her, "they all did."

Quinn sighed. "That's the problem, actually."

"That they liked you?"

She didn't know how to explain it to him. When they had begun this whole charade she hadn't thought about how it would affect everyone else. How were they going to tell Maggie Chang and the rest that it had all been a lie?

"Your grandmother showed me the Chang veil," Quinn said.

Mike had suspected as much. "We'll find a way to tell them about our break-up gently when the time comes," he told her. He sincerely hoped that that time would never come.

"Honestly, I don't think I can go through with this," Quinn told him. "We're lying to our families."

"I know."

"Don't you think it's wrong?" Of course he knew it was wrong but he was with Quinn and he wasn't ready to let that go.

"Are you having second thoughts?" he asked her. Quinn was having second, third and fourth thoughts; this thing was going to end badly.

000

"Quinn, fancy running into you here."

Quinn stiffened. She had hoped that she would never hear that voice again but since when did life ever go according to one's wishes. She turned slowly.

"Hi Mike."

Mike Reynolds tried to reach forward and hug Quinn but she side-stepped him and nodded at the woman and little girl who were with him.

"This is my wife, Amy and our daughter, Marie," Mike told her. "Quinn Fabray, it's still Fabray, right, a friend from college." They shook hands and exchanged smiles.

"What are you doing here?" Quinn asked him. "I thought you had moved back to Oregon."

"We did," Mike said, "We're here for the weekend visiting with Amy's sister and her husband."

Quinn held up the paper bag she was holding and smiled at him. "It was nice running into you but I have to go."

000

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